It is previously known to use a work plan optimization tool based on nesting part placement methods to place out the parts that are to be cut out of a piece of material. Nesting is a geometry optimization tool working in two dimensions that is based on different heuristic search algorithms that rotate and pack polygons in a given work area. In a graphic way nested work plans gives a quite good solution but in production it is required that a safe distance is used between parts. Safe distances have to take into account the machining and material technical conditions that arise in the production process. The size of the safe distance varies depending on used material and used cutting technology, a normal safe distance between parts is 5-20 mm.
Examples of used controlling rules for controlling the cutting operation of a machine are how to handle:                sharp edges,        turning points,        beam breaking in critical areas,        sensing the cutting head,        take into account of the grid which materials can be located at,        take into account the pivot risk of pre-cut details,        length, shape and angle of lead in,        length, shape and angle of lead out,        micro joint for parts, and        different use of gas when cutting and volume of abstractive material in water cutting.        
Examples of controlling rules related to used material can be:                rolling direction for different metal,        heat,        that the material settles,        different patterns in the material,        material stretch,        tolerances for parts, and        part quality.        
Due to the above mentioned production and material related conditions there will be waste material between the cut parts.
As the beam makes the cut in the material the thickness of the cut is the same as, or corresponds to, the thickness of the beam, hence the beam thickness has to be taken into consideration when positioning the parts on the material and setting the safe distance between the parts. It is known to use tool radius compensation in the cutting process, where left tool radius compensation is used if the cut is made to the left of the part in the cutting direction, and right tool radius compensation is used if the cut is made to the right of the part in the cutting direction. Whenever the tool radius compensation is changed, the cutting process is stopped, the beam is turned off, and a new piercing is made.
Some known technologies that are used to provide a reliable production process is to use micro joints between a part and the material surrounding the part, normally called the material skeleton. A micro joint is created by stopping the cutting beam in a cut along a cutting path, moving the cutting device a small distance along the cutting path, and then starting the cutting beam again to continue the cut along the cutting path. The small uncut part will then constitute the micro joint.
In order to minimize the number of piercings and positioning distance in the cutting process it is known to manually position bridges between parts and to chain cut.
It is also known to minimize material waste by using common cut for straight lines between two points in order to minimize material waste and cutting length. In a common cut the distance between the two parts is only the thickness of one cut from the cutting beam and no tool radius compensation is used during the cutting process.